Articulated car construction



Oct. 5', 1937. R. c. MILLER ARTICULATED CAR CONSTRUCTION Original Filed May 9, 1934 Patented Oct. 5, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARTICULATED CAR CONSTRUCTION Raymond C. Miller,`Berwick, Pa., assignor to American Car and Foundry Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey 1930, serial No. 67,443

10 claims.

This invention relates generally to articulated cars and is directed in particular to a new and improved foot plate construction for bridging the space between adjacent car bodies of an articulated car, the present application being a division of pending application, Serial No. 724,650, filed May 9, 1934 and now Patent No. 2,036,254 issued April 7, 1936 to John Christiansen. The present invention is particularly adapted for use with an articulated car of the type in which the adjacent end portions of two car bodies are supported by what is known in the art as a single or pivot truck, as shown and described in the beforementioned patent, it is to be understood the invention may be used to advantage with articulated cars generally.

Heretofore foot plates have been of rigid construction and not entirely satisfactory due to the fact that in service there is necessarily a certain amount of relative shifting between the respective car bodies of an articulated car which made it impossible to obtain the desired close fitting association between the foot plate and tread castings or threshold plates on the end portions of the car bodies. In such an arrangement there is excessive relative movement and friction between these parts resulting in an unsteady and noisy foot plate construction. l

It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a foot plate construction for articulated cars which will permit a closer and more effective association between the foot plate and adjacent car parts and in which excessive friction and play between the foot plate and these parts is eliminated. j Another object of this invention is the provision of a foot plate construction in which a resilient foot plate element is supported'between and associated with the adjacent end portions of two car bodies in such a manner that it is permitted to flex upon relative shifting of the car bodies.

A 'further object of this invention is the provision of a flexible foot plate for articulated cars which will permit the individual car bodies to shift relative to one another Without interrupting or disturbing in" any way the passage between adjacent car bodies. v

A still further object of this invention is the provision of new and improved foot plate supporting means for maintaining the foot plate securely in place irrespective of variations in the relative positions of the car bodies.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from@ CQildlition of the following description and accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view through an end portion of a car body showing one form of resilient foot plate and supporting means therefor; and

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, illustrating another embodiment of the invention.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawing, a body connection casting A is shown, the same being secured to each of the adjacent end portions of the carbodies and forming part of the body underframe; the castings being provided with means adapting each pair of adjacent car body end portions to be supported by a pivot truck.

' Extending between adjacent carbody end portions is a foot plate base memberv 2 secured to and supported by brackets 4, Z-shaped in crosssection resting upon end top cover plates 6 secured to the body connection castings A;V Clips 8 are secured to the cover plates and overlap the lower flanges I0 of the Z-shaped brackets to retain the brackets and foot plate against displacement. It will, of course, be understood thatl the foot plate construction is the same at each adjacent car body end portion and therefore the arrangement at one end portion only is shown and described.

Munted on foot plate base member Zis a foot plate I2 composed of resilient material such as rubber compound or the like, said foot plate being substantially circular in form and having its marginal edge portion protected and reinforced by a channel ring I4 (see Fig. l). Secured to each top cover plate 6 and at the end portion of each car body is a tread support I6 in the form of a curved breast Z to the upper flanges I8 of whichl is secured a tread plate 20 which, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, overlaps the resilient foot plate element I2 at the reinforced marginal edge portion thereof. The tread support I6 has secured thereto by the rivets 22, or other suitable fasteners, a supporting element 24 having its upper edge portion flanged at 26 to underlie and support 45 the reinforced marginal edge portion of the resilient foot plate element. With this arrangement it will be seen that the marginal edge portion of the resilient foot plate element is retained between the overlapping portion of the tread plate 26 and the underlying ange 26. Secured tothe opposite side of the tread support I'B by the aforementioned rivets 22 is a floor supporting angle 28 which supports an upwardly extending portion B of the car floor C. The car floor C may be of any lapping the marginal edge portion of said resilient element.

10. In a foot plate construction for articulated cars, a rigid element, a resilient element of greater diameter than said rigid element and mounted thereon, said rigid element extending between and being supported by the adjacent end portions 0f adjacent car bodies, means on said car bodies including a flange underlying and supporting the marginal edge portion of said resilient element, said flange being provided with an abutment, and means on said marginal edge portion of the resilient element so formed and arranged as to cooperate with said abutment to retain the resilient element against displacement.

RAYMOND C. MILLER. 

